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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mug — a cup
  7. net — in sport
  8. root — the cause
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chest — a box
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com